Tooth-brush



De.15,1959 H. BUSSEUIL 2,917,057

TOOTH-BRUSH Filed D60. 10, 1956 Fim; 0

TQTH-BRUSH Henri Busseuil, Paris, France, assigner to Socit Responsabilit Limite dite: G.0.L., Paris, France Application December 1t), 1956, Serial No. 627,417

Claims priority, appiication France July 20, 1956 3 Ciaims. (KCl. 132-84) This invention relates to a hygienic tooth-brush system intended more particularly for travelers who do not want to trouble themselves with a tooth-brush, a tooth-brush case and a separate container for the toothpaste.

It is an essential object of this invention to provide a tooth-brush or relatively small dimensions and low cost.

lt is another object of this invention to provide a toothbrush adapted to be sold or distributed together with a reserve of tooth-paste.

To this end, the tooth-brush according to this invention comprises a handle and, at the operative end thereof, a plate carrying bristle-forming iiexible and elastic ilaments, all these elements constituting7 an integral and single molding of plastic or like material.

According to another feature of this invention, the tooth-brush is provided with a cover adapted to protect the bristles and to contain a certain quantity of toothpaste.

The assembly is adequately sterilized and thus ready for immediate use at any time provided that some water is available to the user for rinsing purposes.

The relatively reduced dimensions and cost of the toothbrush elements are such that one or more tooth-brushes manufactured in accordance with the teachings of this invention may be delivered to the consumers either through an automatic distributing machine or through any other suitable sales system, the used brushes being subsequently thrown away.

The brush elements can easily be sterilized during the manufacturing steps, before packing them, so that they can be delivered for sale and used under the best possible conditions of hygiene; thus, a transparent plastic wrapper such as cellophane or the like may be used and so formed as to protect the brush against any contact with contaminating media and/ or objects until it is about to be used.

In order to afford a clearer understanding of the present invention and of the manner in which the same may be carried out in the practice, reference will now be made to the attached drawing forming part o-f this specication and illustrating diagrammatically, by way of eX- ample, a typical embodiment of a tooth-brush system manufactured in accordance with the teachings of this invention. in the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plane view from above of the complete tooth-brush assembly.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same brush assembly with the cover separated therefrom.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional View, the section being taken upon the line III- lll of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view showing the manner in which the cover may be removed from the tooth brush.

Figure 5 is an elevational view showing on a considerably larger scale a separate bristle.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the tooth-brush alone, and

Figure 7 is another perspective view showing the toothbrush provided with its cover.

The handle 1, the supporting plate 2 provided at one end of this handle i and the bristles 3 carried by the 2,917,057 Patented Dec. 15, 1959 plate 2 are molded as an integral unit of plastic or like material. The bristles 3 projecting from the plate Z have substantially the configuration shown on a larger scale in Fig. 5 and are characterized by a certain eXibility corresponding to that of conventional tooth-brush bristles; this feature may be obtained for example by providing a straight element of progressively reduced diameter from the root to the tip of the bristle as shown in Fig. 5; thus, the straight sections 3a, 3b and 3c have a progressively reduced diameter from root to tip. The handle 3l of the tooth-brush is formed with a number of longitudinal ribs or hns in, 1b and `1c adapted to stiften the handle. On the other hand, these ribs or ns are of progressively reduced height in their portions extending from the inner edge to the outer edge of the plate 2, as shown at id. Preferably, the height of the longitudinal ribs 1a, 1b and 1c is substantially equal to half the width of the handle i.

When the tooth-brush is not being used, a cover 4 is fitted on the bristle-carrying plate 2. This cover 4 contains a charge of tooth-paste (not shown) and is of the snap-fitting type. rThis feature is obtained by forming along the edge of the cover 4 an inner bead 4a adapted to engage a groove 2a formed along the lateral surface of the plate 2, as shown more particularly in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawing. Thus, by simply pressing the cover 4, the latter will flt in a perfectly fluid-tight manner on the plate 2. A lug 4b formed integrally with the cover 4 facilitates the removal and refitting of the cover. Of course, other Xation methods and means may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Besides, many modifications may be contemplated in the practical actuation of this invention without departing from the essential feature thereof as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A tooth-brush comprising a handle portion at one end thereof, a bristle-carrying portion integral with said handle portion at the other end of said tooth-brush, a completely removable cover member enclosing and closely surrounding said bristle-carrying portion, means on said cover member and said bristle-carrying portion for separately connecting the same in fluid-tight relationship to form a fluid-tight enclosure, said enclosure being adapted to confine a supply of toothpaste therewithin.

2. A tooth-brush comprising a handle portion at one end thereof, a bristle-carrying portion integral With said handle portion at the other end of said tooth-brush, said bristle-carrying portion comprising a plate portion from which the bristles extend perpendicularly outwardly, a completely removable cover member enclosing and close- 1y surrounding said bristle-carrying portion, said cover member separably engaging the periphery of said plate portion, means on said cover member and said bristlecarrying portion for separably connecting the same in fluid-tight relationship to form a fluid-tight enclosure, said enclosure being adapted to confine a supply of toothpaste therewithin.

3. A tooth-brush according to claim 2, wherein said cover member and said plate portion are formed with continuous interengaging peripheral portions, at least one of said peripheral portions being yieldable to permit removal of said cover member.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 163,707 Pifer June 19, 1951 1,734,429 Hanover Nov. 5, 1929 2,355,744 Myers Aug. 15, 1944 2,607,064 Sullivan et al. Aug. 19, 1952 2,783,490 Kutik Mar. 5, 1957 2,790,449 Hennings Apr. 30, 1957 UNITED STATES PATENT QEFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No, 2,917,057

December l5, -1959 Henri Busseuil It is hereby certified that error appears in Jche printed specification of the above numbered peteni'J requiring correction and that the said Letters Paten-t. should read as corrected below;

Column 2, lines 42 `and 43, for "separately" reed separably Signed and sealed this 17th day of May 196D.

(SEAL) Attest:

KAEL Em AXLINE ROBERT C. WATSON Attesting Officer Commission-er of Patents 

